The Skanda Purana
by G. V. Tagare | 1950 | 2,545,880 words
This page describes Greatness of Bhutanatheshvara (Bhutanatha-ishvara) which is chapter 117 of the English translation of the Skanda Purana, the largest of the eighteen Mahapuranas, preserving the ancient Indian society and Hindu traditions in an encyclopedic format, detailling on topics such as dharma (virtous lifestyle), cosmogony (creation of the universe), mythology (itihasa), genealogy (vamsha) etc. This is the one hundred seventeenth chapter of the Prabhasa-kshetra-mahatmya of the Prabhasa Khanda of the Skanda Purana.
Chapter 117 - Greatness of Bhūtanātheśvara (Bhūtanātha-īśvara)
[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]
Īśvara said:
1-4. Thereafter, O great goddess, a pilgrim should go to the shrine of Hara known as Bhūtanātheśvara. It is situated within a distance of twenty Dhanus to the north-east of Kuṇḍeśvarī.
O great goddess, this Kalpaliṅga is without beginning and end. Formerly in Tretā Yuga, it was famous on the earth as Vīrabhadreśvara. O goddess of Devas, it is remembered as Bhūteśvara in Kali Age.
Formerly at the juncture of Dvāpara, crores of Bhūtas (spirits, goblins) attained great Siddhi there by the power of that Liṅga. Hence it became famous by the name Bhūteśvara on the earth.
5-6. The pilgrim should be fearless. With all sense-organs conquered, he must meditate on the Lord perfectly. On the fourteenth lunar day in the dark half of the month, he should worship Śaṅkara and then Aghora in the southern quarter. Only he will attain whatever Siddhi there is on the earth.
7. Homas, gifts of gingelly seeds and offerings of balls of rice with Pitṛs in view, should be made for realizing their release from the state of ghost-hood.
8. Thus the greatness of Bhūtanātheśvara has been expounded. It destroys the extensive sins of the Kali Age. It is the cause of merit. A person who reads or listens to the greatness of the most excellent one among Suras with devotion, is rid of the multitude of sins.